


I'm Gonna Make This Place Your Home

by GettingThere



Series: Rescue & Release [2]
Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Acceptance, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Anti-Slavery, Anxiety, Bad Dreams, Big Sisters, Boys In Love, Brother-Sister Relationships, Brothers, Caretaking, Comfort, Comfort No Hurt, Coming Out, Costumes, Dentistry, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Family, Family Bonding, Family Dinners, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fear, First Love, Flashbacks, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Found Family, Freedom, Friends to Lovers, Gay Character, Gay Male Character, Gen, Handshake, Home, Hurt/Comfort, Inspector Spacetime - Freeform, Lesbian Character, Literal Sleeping Together, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Master/Slave, Medical Trauma, Meet the Family, Mistress, Nightmares, Original Character(s), Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protectiveness, Psychological Trauma, Recovery, Rescue, Road Trips, Safety, Secret Crush, Secret Handshake, Self-Acceptance, Sexual Identity, Slavery, Slaves, Sleepovers, Subtle flirting, Trauma, True Love, Video & Computer Games, chosen family, mild Self-harm, slave rescue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-01-25 16:02:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18577828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GettingThere/pseuds/GettingThere
Summary: Slavery AU. An original character rescues Abed, Jeff, and Annie from slavery. No depictions of violence. Family feels and eventual Troy/Abed :) If you want to skip right to Trobed, I would recommend starting with Chapter 7: The Road Trip. If you'd like to see more of this fic, please let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!





	1. The First Day

When Sadie walked in on Saturday afternoon, there wasn’t a single empty cage in the slave adoption centre. But even though every cage housed a starving, naked person, you could hear a pin drop. _This must be one of those places that uses shock collars,_ she thought.

Sadie stood in front of the wall of cages and tried to imagine which slave had the lowest chance of being adopted. Generally if a person could demonstrate they were conscious, they at least had some chance of being chosen, so she looked for a slave who wasn’t moving. After a few minutes, she decided on a slave who was lying in fetal position. The sticker on his cage said: “Male, 23 years.”

“Are you sure you want this one?” the attendant asked. “I don't know how long he’ll last. He hasn’t been eating, and he sleeps a lot.”

“I’m with Rescue and Release. If he doesn’t have long to live, I want to give him a good home while he’s still here.”

“Oh ya, I’ve heard of you guys. I’ll let him out of the cage for you. But be careful ‘cause he spooks easy.”

The attendant unlocked the front door of the man’s cage, but he didn’t move a muscle. She started to attach a harness to him, but Sadie stopped her.

“Don’t drag him out. I’d like to talk to him first if that’s okay.”

“All right. I’ll leave the door open. Just let me know if you need anything.”

Sadie got down on her knees in front of the open cage. “Hello in there,” she said with a soft voice.

The man didn’t move.

“Hello there, my name is Sadie.”

No response.

“I’m sorry to wake you up. I’m with an organization called Rescue and Release, and I’d like to take you somewhere where you can sleep more comfortably. I know that you can’t speak right now because of the collar, but if you’re awake, could you please knock once?”

After a moment, Sadie heard the man’s knuckles knock lightly on the metal floor of his cage.

“Thanks for letting me know you’re awake. I’d like to take you somewhere where you can sleep in a bed, have warm clothing, and have good food to eat. Would you like to come with me? Please knock once for yes, and twice for no.”

Immediately, Sadie heard one light knock.

“Great. As soon as we're out of here, I’m going to take off your shock collar so you can speak. Now, I need to know if you can come out of your cage and stand up by yourself. Knock once for yes, and twice for no.”

The man knocked once.

“Okay. If you’re a bit shaky on your feet, that’s fine. I’ll be right here to support you. You can get out of the cage whenever you’re ready.”

Sadie stayed on her knees and inched back from the cage to give the man room to climb out. At first, he didn’t move at all and Sadie worried that he might not be able to stand on his own. But eventually, the young man got onto his hands and knees and crawled backwards out of the cage. Once he was out, he stayed on his knees and turned to face Sadie, keeping his head low and his eyes locked on the floor.

“All right, I’m going to get up so I can support you when you stand. Remember, if you feel shaky, just reach out for me and I’ll make sure you don’t fall.” Gradually, Sadie got up and put her arms out.

The man made sure to keep his eyes down as he bent one knee, placed his hands on it, and pushed himself upwards. When he got to his feet, he almost lost his balance but regained it without having to reach for Sadie. Now he stood in front of her with his head bowed.

“Great job. Now, I have some slippers in my bag that I’d like you to put on. I’m going to put them down on the floor and you can slip into them.” Sadie got the soft, sheepskin slippers out of her bag and the man put them on.

“Now we need to go to the registration desk. I’d like you to take my arm when we’re walking for the rest of the day, just in case.”

Sadie put out her arm and the man tentatively linked arms with her as they walked towards the registration desk. Sadie quickly filled out the necessary forms as the young man held onto the side of the desk for support. Once the clerk gave Sadie license tags that were inscribed with the number tattooed on the man’s arm, she returned the shock collar and led the man to her car.

“Because eye contact is difficult for you today, I’d like you to sit in the backseat. That way we’ll be able to talk without having to look at each other. Is that okay?”

The man nodded a quick yes. He leaned against the trunk while Sadie opened the back door and pulled out a robe for him to put on.

“This is for you to wear. It belongs to you, and you can put it on right now if you like.”

The man nodded a fervent yes, then lowered himself onto his knees and bowed his head even more than usual. At this, Sadie took a step back and squatted onto the ground in front of him.

“You don’t need to kneel on the ground,” she said, very softly. “I would like you to stand up, put on the robe, and then sit in the backseat of the car. Please.”

The young man immediately stood, put the robe on, and climbed into the backseat. Sadie got in the driver’s seat and was careful not to turn around and look at the man. “I know the next little while will probably be very confusing for you. But I just want you to know that you haven’t done anything wrong. I know all you’re doing is what you’ve been taught.”

Sadie watched in the rearview mirror as the man sat in silence and stared at his lap. “I also want to let you know that you’re free to talk whenever you like, about whatever you like. If you need something or have something you want to tell me, I’ll always listen.”

No response.

“Let’s start with getting on a first name basis. In case you forgot, my name is Sadie. What’s your name?”

“Whatever you wish it to be, mistress,” the man replied in an almost whisper.

“What did your parents name you?”

“Abed, mistress.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Abed.”

“The pleasure is all mine, mistress.” Abed’s voice was small and flat. 

“I understand this is a hard pattern to break, but I want you to know that you don’t have to call me ‘mistress.’ You can call me Sadie, or friend, or even ma’am. If you feel more comfortable calling me mistress, that’s okay, but you’ll never get in trouble for calling me Sadie.”

They sat in silence while Abed tried to make sense of what he'd just been told. His mind worked overtime to come up with the safest thing for him to call his new owner.

“Thank you, Mistress Sadie,” he eventually replied.

“You don’t have to thank me, Abed.”

“Yes, Mistress Sadie.”

Sadie backed the car out of the parking lot and gave Abed a rest from talking. _This has to be a trick_ , he thought. The slippers, the robe, being told he didn’t have to say mistress. This was a height for him to drop from when reality hit. _None of this is real, none of this is real. It’s all a lie, it’s all a lie, it’s all a lie._

When they arrived at Sadie’s apartment building, she parked the car and gave Abed her arm to steady himself as they walked up the stairs and inside her apartment. The place wasn’t much, but she had a spare room where Abed would sleep, and she hoped she could make him as comfortable here as Annie and Jeff had been.

Abed kept his eyes on his slippers as he crossed the threshold into his new home. He closed and locked the door behind him and stood completely still, waiting to be given orders.

“Welcome to your new home!” Sadie said. “This is your space as much as it is mine. If there’s anything you need, or want, or can’t find, just let me know.”

“Yes, Mistress Sadie.”

“All right, now it’s choices time. What would you like to do first? Get dressed, use the washroom, or have something to eat? Remember, there’s no wrong answer.”

Abed knew he couldn’t guess the right answer, so he went with the truth. “May I please use the washroom, Mistress Sadie?”

“Of course you can. The bathroom’s right here.”

Abed didn’t see which door she’d gestured to since his head was down, so he followed in the direction of her voice and hoped he’d find the bathroom. He opened the first door he found and panicked when he looked up and saw it was a bedroom. Then he felt Sadie’s presence come up behind him. Abed instantly dropped to the floor and bowed his head low. 

“I’m so sorry, mistress!” He dug his nails into the back of his hand.

Sadie saw what Abed was doing and sat down on the floor in front of him. “Abed, please stop hurting your hand.” The young man immediately folded his hands and started rocking back and forth.

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” she soothed. “I know that when you keep your head down, it’s hard for you to see where you’re going. I know you meant to go to the bathroom, but I’m actually happy you came in here because this is _your_ room. I washed the sheets and made the bed so you could sleep here tonight.”

Abed didn’t understand half of what she’d said. He was a slave, and he slept in a cage. That was how life worked. Sadie must have been playing the most evil mind game a master or mistress had ever played on him, and he wasn’t going to fall for it. He stayed kneeling on the ground with his head down, rocking, and wasn’t going to get up until he was told to.

As she waited for Abed to calm down, Sadie realized that giving him choices might have been a bad idea. For Jeff and Annie, learning they could safely make choices was a groundbreaking moment. But apparently, what worked for them wasn’t going to work for Abed. So she decided to take a different approach.

“Abed, I’m so sorry I frightened you. From now on, I’m going to make things very clear so there aren’t any misunderstandings. I’d like you to please stand up and lift your head.”

The young man obeyed.

“Thank you. Now I’d like you to please use the washroom, wash your hands, and come back to see me in the bedroom.”

“Yes, mistress.” Abed hurried off to the bathroom, and when he returned, Sadie had laid out a pair of flannel pyjamas for him on the bed.

“I’d like you to change into these pyjamas, put your slippers back on, and then come meet me in the kitchen.”

“Yes, mistress,” Abed replied, terrified.

Sadie left the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She went to the kitchen, got out a pen and a piece of paper, and at the top of the sheet wrote: House Rules

Before she was able to draft rule one, Abed was in the kitchen in his pyjamas and slippers, kneeling on the floor next to her with his head lowered.

“Abed, I’d like you to sit in the chair next to me, please.”

“Yes, mistress,” he said, sitting next to her.

“I'm going to write up a list of house rules. I’m putting them in place because I want you to understand the kind of relationship I’d like us to have.”

“Yes, mistress.” _I knew this was coming. I knew this was coming._

“All right. Rule number one…” Sadie still wasn’t sure if Abed could read, so she made sure to say what she was writing out loud. She took a moment to think about Jeff and Annie’s behaviours when they first arrived at the apartment and then decided on a rule. “Abed must sleep in his bed at night. Not under the bed, not on the floor - _in_ the bed.”

“Yes, mistress,” he nodded.

“Rule number two. Abed must never be naked in front of Sadie. And Sadie must never be naked in front of Abed. All changes of clothes and bathroom visits must happen behind closed doors.”

“Yes, mistress.”

“Rule number three. When Abed needs to use the bathroom, he must not wait to ask Sadie if he is allowed to go. He must use the bathroom as soon as he needs to, no matter what time of day or night.”

“Yes, mistress,” Abed said, trying to memorize the first three rules.

By the time the list was finished, it read:

House Rules

  1. Abed must sleep in his bed at night. Not under the bed, not on the floor - in the bed.
  2. Abed must never be naked in front of Sadie. And Sadie must never be naked in front of Abed. All changes of clothes and bathroom visits must happen behind closed doors.
  3. When Abed needs to use the bathroom, he must not wait to ask Sadie if he is allowed to go. He must use the bathroom as soon as he needs to, no matter what time of day or night.
  4. Abed must eat when he is hungry. If he is not able to find something to eat on his own, he must tell Sadie that he is hungry. When Abed tells Sadie he is hungry, she must get him something to eat immediately.
  5. Abed must tell Sadie when he is sick, injured, or not feeling well. When Abed tells Sadie he is sick, injured, or not feeling well, Sadie must do whatever she can to help him heal and make him feel better.
  6. When Sadie is talking to Abed, he must make eye contact with her. When Abed is talking to Sadie, she must make eye contact with him.
  7. Abed must never kneel on the floor or bow his head to show respect to Sadie. If Abed wishes to show respect to Sadie, he must look her in the eye and say, “I respect you, Sadie.” or “Thank you, Sadie.”
  8. When Abed has a question about how he should behave in their shared apartment, he must ask Sadie the question. When Sadie answers the question, Abed must abide by Sadie’s answer.
  9. If Abed ever feels afraid, hurt, scared, lonely, anxious, frightened, confused, nervous, distraught, annoyed, violated, victimized, offended, sad, depressed, mad, angry, or uncomfortable, he must tell Sadie immediately. Upon hearing that Abed is feeling any of these emotions, Sadie must do her very best to help make the emotion or emotions subside.
  10. Sadie must never perpetrate physical, verbal, or emotional violence of any kind against Abed. Similarly, Abed must never perpetrate physical, verbal, or emotional violence of any kind against Sadie.
  11. If there is any past, present, or future rule that Abed is not comfortable with, he must tell Sadie immediately. Upon hearing that Abed is uncomfortable with a rule, Sadie must do her very best to change or modify the rule to help him feel more comfortable.



Sadie hoped the rules would encourage Abed to speak more. “So,” she started, “now that these are our official house rules, is there anything you’d like to tell me? Or ask me?”

Abed looked her in the eye and tried his very best to speak, but nothing came out. He wanted to follow the rules and be a good slave, and not get hurt, and do everything right, but speaking freely was so foreign to him that he wasn’t sure he could do it. He stared at Sadie, desperately trying to make his mouth form words, but nothing came. He remembered that there was a rule against Sadie hurting him, but he knew there was no rule against him hurting himself. So he lowered his head and began digging his nails into the back of his hand.

“Abed, please don’t hurt your hand.” Sadie took both of Abed’s hands in hers. “I’d like you to close your eyes, breathe in, hold your breath for 5 seconds, and breathe out.” Abed did as he was told. “Now again. Breathe in, hold, breathe out.” Sadie told Abed to repeat the action a few times until she saw he was calmer, then asked him to open his eyes. 

“I’m sorry Abed, did the rules scare you?”

Abed hesitated, then decided to keep his head down. “No, mistress.”

“Then what’s the matter?”

He was silent for a moment. “It’s hard for me to talk and look in your eyes at the same time, mistress.”

“That’s okay. We can change that rule.” Sadie picked up her pen, crossed out rule six and rewrote it. When she was finished, she read it aloud to Abed. “When Sadie is talking to Abed, he must try to make eye contact with her when he can. When Abed is talking to Sadie, she must try to make eye contact with him when she can. How does that sound?”

“I can do that, mistress. Thank you, mistress.”

“No problem. And one more thing.” Sadie changed rule ten then read it aloud. “Sadie must never perpetrate physical, verbal, or emotional violence of any kind against Abed or herself. Similarly, Abed must never perpetrate physical, verbal, or emotional violence of any kind against Sadie or himself. Think you can stick to that?”

“Yes, mistress.”

“Good. Now, would you like something to eat? I made a lasagna yesterday and I can heat some up for each of us.”

“Yes, mistress. Thank you, mistress.” He still wasn't able to make eye contact.

“You’re more than welcome.”

Sadie made a point of cutting the lasagna on the table in front of Abed so he could see that both of their pieces came from the same dish. Annie and Jeff had each told her their own horror story about being tricked into eating food laced with drugs, so Sadie wanted to make sure that Abed knew what he was eating was safe.

Once the lasagna was being heated up in the microwave, Sadie sat back down next to Abed. “Is there anywhere on your body that hurts? Do you feel sick at all?”

Abed closed his eyes and nodded. “Yes, mistress. My back hurts, mistress.”

“Anywhere else?”

“Yes, mistress. My head, my stomach, and my teeth hurt, mistress.”

Abed was terrified. He'd never told any of his masters or mistresses when he was in pain before. Since he wasn’t allowed to hurt himself, he began to rock back and forth in his chair, desperately trying to self-soothe.

“Okay. I’m going to give you a Tylenol for the pain. I’ll take one too so you know it’s safe. I’m hoping you’ll feel better after you’ve eaten and slept, but if you don’t, let me know. I know it’s going to be a long time before you’re ready to see a doctor, but when you’re ready, I’ll be more than happy to take you. But you don’t need to worry about that today.”

“Yes, mistress. Thank you, mistress.” He was even more scared of doctors than he was of Sadie. He rocked harder.

“Abed, you can keep rocking if you need to, but could you also try doing the breathing exercise I taught you?”

“Yes, mistress.”

As Abed took deep breaths, Sadie got out the bottle of Tylenol and two small glasses of orange juice. They each took a pill, then the microwave beeped. Sadie took out the food and set in on the table and they ate their dinner in silence.

“Would you like some chocolate for dessert?”

“Yes, please, mistress.” He still wasn’t able to look at her.

Sadie cleared the table, then took a chocolate bar out of a kitchen drawer and broke it in half, handing one half to Abed. “How 'bout we watch a movie?”

“Yes, please, mistress.”

Abed followed Sadie to the living room sofa and she turned on the tv. There was a movie on about a young slave girl who gets adopted and freed by a rich family. Sadie had watched the same movie once with Annie, and she’d cried happy tears and hugged Sadie.

“That’s like me! You rescued me!” she’d said, squeezing Sadie tighter and reaching for a Kleenex.

Sadie knew she wouldn’t get the same reaction from Abed, but it was a light enough movie that it was safe to watch with him. They ate their chocolate and watched the movie in silence, and before it was over, Abed had fallen asleep and was snoring softly.

Sadie let Abed sleep on the sofa until 10pm, then she gently woke him up and guided him to his bed. He fell onto the forest green bedspread and slept there until morning.


	2. The Family

When Abed woke up the next morning, he didn't remember where he was right away. He wasn’t in his cage at the shelter, and he was wearing soft, flannel pyjamas. Then he recognized the forest green bedspread he was lying on from the day before, and saw that the clock on the bedside table next to him read 10:48 am.

_It’s late! I’m going to get in trouble! Where’s Sadie?_

Abed bounded out of bed, flung his bedroom door open, and saw Sadie at the kitchen table on her laptop with a full plate of breakfast beside her.

“Good morning!” she greeted. “I made pancakes, sausage, eggs, and bacon. Would you like some?”

He kept his eyes down. “Yes, please, mistress,” he answered quietly.

"Come sit at the table," she said, pulling out the chair next to her. “Would you like some tea? I just boiled the kettle and it’s still hot.”

“Yes, please, mistress.”

Abed slowly crossed the living room, sat down at the kitchen table, and started to eat his breakfast. His plate had been filled before he got there, so he knew there was a chance it was poisoned, but he was more afraid of what might happen if he didn’t eat what he was offered. Sadie handed him the cup of tea and he drank it for the same reason.

She sat back down at the table. “So I wanted to ask you if it's all right if my brother and sister come over for dinner tonight?

Abed nodded, swallowing his mouthful of food. “Yes, mistress.”

“There are some pictures of them on the fridge if you’d like to take a look.”

“Yes, mistress.” Abed got up and went to the fridge to see the photos. There were lots of pictures of a tall, blond man and a short, brunette girl hugging Sadie and smiling. A few of the pictures were taken in the apartment, but most of the photos showed the family in front of different buildings. In one of the pictures, the three of them were eating ice cream on a park bench.

Sadie came over to the fridge to point out different photos. “These two in front of the courthouse are my favourite. This is the day Jeff got his freedom papers, and this one with Jeff and Annie is from the day Annie got hers. I didn’t have a lot of money when Jeff first came to live with me, so we didn’t do a lot of travelling, but by the time Annie came, I'd saved up some money and Jeff came with us on a few trips.” She pointed to different groups of pictures. “These were taken in New York, these are from our trip to San Francisco, and this is the Grand Canyon.”

Abed stared at the photos of the courthouse. _Freedom papers? Why did her brother and sister need freedom papers?_

Sadie noticed him staring. "Jeff and Annie aren’t my siblings by blood. I adopted each of them from a slave shelter and then freed them. I don’t know if you remember me telling you this yesterday, but I’m part of an organization called Rescue and Release. I can show you their website if you like. Do you know how to read? If you don't, that’s okay, and if you do, that’s okay too." 

Abed looked at the floor. “I… can read, mistress.”

“That’s great! That means you can use my present. Go look in the top drawer of your desk.”

"Yes, mistress." Abed went to his bedroom, opened the top desk drawer, and found a laptop.

“It’s my old laptop. I got a new one a couple of years ago so I had an extra. Annie used it when she lived here, but she took all of her stuff off of it when she left. It’s all yours!” 

He stared at the computer, too afraid to touch it. “Thank you, mistress.”

"The wifi password's already on there, so feel free to use the internet."

 _Internet?_  He raised his head a little and looked at Sadie. “Thank you, mistress.”

“You’re more than welcome, Abed.”

* * *

That afternoon, Sadie called Annie and Jeff. They were coming over for dinner at 6:30 and couldn’t wait to meet Abed. After taking a shower and putting on some real clothes, Abed stayed alone in his room with his laptop. He'd used computers before, but never to do what he wanted. He spent the afternoon searching for ways to find his parents, but couldn’t get very far without freedom papers. Because he’d been born into slavery, he never knew his family name, and that information, he discovered, was not even accessible to Sadie, his legal owner. From the moment that a person became a registered slave, information about their heritage was only accessible to the Federal Department of Enslaved Persons. When a slave became a free person, the only background information about themselves they had access to were the full names of their two biological parents. The FDEP did this to make it more difficult for freed slaves to locate and purchase siblings and other family members.

Abed didn’t know if he had any siblings, but the only way he could find out would be to find his parents first. Because he had a first name that was uncommon in the US, he tried searching for himself online, but was only able to find an old listing from when he was for sale as a baby. The only reason he even knew his real first name was because the child slave centre that bought and raised him let him keep it, and that, he discovered, was rare. There were so many stories online of recently freed slaves who’d only just discovered the names they were given by their parents. Abed felt lucky that he’d known his all his life.

After a few hours of legal research, Abed checked out the Rescue and Release website, and was relieved to discover they were a legitimate organization that helped free slaves and reunite them with their families. There was even a forum where slaves living with an R&R member could report their location and mark themselves safe on a map. Abed did this and then posted to the forum for Denver, Colorado.

_Hello internet! My name is Abed and I’m a 23-year-old slave living with a member of Rescue & Release in Denver. Mom and Dad, if you read this one day, I want you to know that I’m safe and well. If you want to get in touch, please call R&R Denver as soon as you can!_

There was also another forum for recently rescued slaves to talk to each other about their experiences with Rescue and Release. Nathan from Wichita was the most recent poster.

_Been living with the wonderful Mackenzie family for almost a week now. Oh my god, it feels so good to eat real food! I was born into slavery and I never had a master who let me eat table scraps, so this is all new to me! I would have to say my favourite foods so far are macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake :) Any other suggestions of foods I should try?_

Abed decided to respond to Nathan’s post.

_So happy to hear you’re safe, Nathan. I was also born into slavery, so people food is a new experience for me too. I haven’t tried macaroni or cake yet, but I would recommend lasagna and pancakes._

As Abed finished his post, the doorbell rang and he knew it must be Annie and Jeff. He was nervous to meet them, but also excited since this was the first time he'd ever met a freed slave. Part of his brain was trying to convince him that this was actually a trap, and that Annie and Jeff were going to buy him from Sadie and beat him to death. But as soon as he came out of his bedroom and saw Annie hugging Sadie, that part of his brain shut up.

“Hi! How are you?” Sadie said as she hugged Annie.

“I’m good, I’m good! I'd be better if this one ever cleaned up after himself, but other than that I’m good.” Annie looked over at Jeff with a smirk on her face.

“Hey, sis.” Jeff wrapped his arms around Sadie and pulled her into a bear hug.

“Hey, bro. Good to see you,” Sadie replied, patting Jeff on the back.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you!” Annie said, looking at Abed.

“Hey, man.” Jeff shook Abed's hand. His grip was very strong and Abed flinched when he felt it.

Jeff immediately took a step back. “I’m a big guy, but I never hurt anybody. You’re safe now, and you're the luckiest guy in the world to be living with Sadie. She’s the best.”

“Come in! Sit down, eat! I made shepherd’s pie.”

“Thank god, I’m starving!” Jeff exclaimed.

Annie turned to Sadie. “He’s on one of those crazy diets again. Something about his six pack. But he decided to take the night off for your cooking.”

Sadie smiled. “We’ve never been four around our little table before! How are we all going to fit?”

“I can sit on the floor, mistress,” Abed said quietly.

“No, of course not,” Sadie replied.

The four of them squeezed around the tiny kitchen table, and Sadie served everyone some of her homemade shepherd’s pie. As soon as Jeff got his, he emptied an enormous amount of ketchup on top and took a huge bite.

“Here, have some," Annie said, handing Abed the ketchup bottle. He squeezed some onto the corner of his dinner and took a bite. He would have to tell Nathan to try shepherd’s pie too.

“So how’s work?” Sadie asked Jeff.

“Fine, fine. We’ve been getting a lot of clothing inventory, which is really weird to me, but I guess one stop shopping is the way of the future.”

“We both work at Safeway,” Annie told Abed. “I’m a cashier and Jeff’s a stock clerk.”

“And guess who’s employee of the month, again. This kid right here!” Jeff said looking at Annie. She beamed over the praise.

“Congratulations! That’s wonderful!” Sadie smiled.

As Jeff, Annie, and Sadie caught up on the week’s events, Abed ate his dinner, feeling out of place. Just as he was about to take another bite, Annie looked at him. “So Abed, how are you liking it here so far? Sadie’s a great cook, isn’t she?”

“Yes. I really like it here, mistress,” he said in a small voice, keeping his eyes on his plate.

“It's normal to be freaked out, too,” Jeff reassured. “I was super scared when I first came to live here. I couldn't even sleep in my bed for the first few nights.”

“That’s why I made sleeping in the bed a rule.”

“Wait, you have rules? You never gave us rules,” Jeff said, confused.

“No, no. They aren’t really rules. Here, look.” Sadie got the list of house rules out of the drawer to show Jeff and Annie.

“Oh, rules like this!” Annie said, after she’d read the first few. “Geez, I wish I had these when I first came here. No wonder you’ve adjusted so quickly.”

“At first I tried giving him choices like what worked with you and Jeff, but that was too much for him. It just made things worse. So I improvised. It was a little tricky at first, but after we made some adjustments, it seems like the house rules are working out.”

“I can see why you needed to change the eye contact thing,” Jeff said, “That’s super hard in the beginning.”

“I like number eleven” Annie said, handing the list back to Sadie.

“Ya, that’s a good one,” Jeff added.

Sadie put the list back in the drawer and sat down next to Abed. “You know we only have the rules to keep you safe and healthy, right?”

“Yes, mistress,” Abed replied, taking the last bite of his dinner.

“Oh, and for dessert I have ice cream.”

“Excellent,” Jeff said, helping his sisters clear the table.

As Sadie dished the ice cream into bowls and put on the kettle for tea, Annie washed the dishes and Jeff dried.

“Is there anything I can do to help, mistress?” Abed asked as he sat idle at the table, very confused.

“Nope," Annie answered, "You’re a new arrival. That means no chores for a while, right Sadie?” Annie asked.

“That’s right. Abed, you’re not doing any housework for a month. You’ve done enough and now it’s your time to relax.”

When the dishes were done, Sadie, Jeff, and Annie sat back down at the table and ate their ice cream, chatting and laughing. Abed watched them.

“Is everything okay, Abed?” Annie asked.

“Is it like this all the time?” The siblings all looked at Abed, unsure of what he meant.

“Like what?” Jeff asked. 

“Is everyone always happy like this?”

“Well no,” Sadie answered, “we have our down times too. But we get through them together.”

“Do you ever fight?” Abed asked.

Jeff took this one. “If you mean hitting and yelling at each other, no. That's never happened and it'll never happen. If you mean getting annoyed with each other and getting on each other’s nerves, then yes. _All_ the time.” He looked at Annie.

“It’s not my fault you don’t apply yourself at work.”

Jeff rolled his eyes. “Oh, here we go…”

“I just think that if you tried a little harder to impress Stephanie that you could be employee of the month sometimes too! And maybe even be manager one day! Don’t you think so, Sadie?”

“I’m not getting between you two on this one. And I don’t think this is the time to talk about it.” Sadie looked at Abed and then back at her brother and sister.

“No, I think he should see us argue,” Jeff said. “If he’s going to be part of the family, he should know we’re not perfect.”

“Oh, we’re definitely not perfect,” Annie said.

Just then, the kettle boiled and Sadie and Annie went to make everyone’s tea.

“Were you really a slave?” Abed asked Jeff. “You’re so strong.”

“Yes, I was.” Jeff rolled up his sleeve and showed Abed the scar from where his slave tattoo was removed. “When Sadie found me, I was very thin. Even thinner than you are now. But when I came to live with her, she cooked for me every day. And she took me to the doctor, and taught me to read, and did everything a good big sister does.” Sadie brought Jeff his tea and hugged him from behind.

“You didn’t know how to read?” Abed asked.

“No, I didn’t. Do you?”

“Yes. The child slave centre I grew up in taught me.”

“Did you grow up in Denver?” Annie asked. “We might've been bought by the same one. Mine taught me too.”

“No, I grew up in Colorado Springs.”

“Well anyway, it’s great that you know how to read,” Jeff said, sipping his tea. “You’ll have less to catch up on when you apply for college.”

“I’m going to college?”

“Of course you are! If you want to, that is,” Sadie answered. “As soon as you’re free, you can go to Freed People’s College, just like Jeff and Annie are going to.”

“We start in the fall! I’m so excited,” Annie smiled.

“You two must be very smart to both be going to college.”

“Well, it’s not Harvard,” Jeff said, “If you can read and write and do a little math, you get in. You can take high school equivalency courses there, too. That’s what I’ll be doing first. But Einstein over here got into the college program right off the bat!”

“I’m so proud of you.” Sadie rubbed Annie’s shoulder.

“Congratulations,” Abed said.

“Thank you. I studied really hard for the entrance exam. And Sadie helped. If you decide to go, I’ll definitely help you too. If you already know how to read, getting into the college program isn't really that hard.”

Jeff turned to Abed. “If you have to take high school equivalency classes, that’s fine too.”

“What are you going to study?” Abed asked Annie.

“Well, first I want to get my Bachelor’s in Sociology,” Annie started, “and then I'd like to go to law school. That’s the dream, but we’ll see what happens.”

“Freed slaves can be lawyers?”

“Yes! A few years ago the Colorado bar started accepting lawyers from FPC. You still can’t be a doctor, or an engineer, or a pilot, or  _lots_ of other jobs if you were enslaved, but at least it’s a first step.”

“And what are you going to study?” Abed asked Jeff.

“Education. I don’t know if this is ever going to happen, but my dream is to be a teacher like Sadie was.”

“You used to be a teacher, mistress?”

“Yes, I was. I taught high school English until the school board found out I was a member of Rescue and Release. But then I got my job at Friend Indeed, so it all worked out for the best.”

“What’s Friend Indeed, mistress?”

“We’re an anti-slavery political advocacy and lobbyist group, which basically means we try to influence laws affecting enslaved people, with the goal of ending human slavery.” 

Abed thought he was starting to put the pieces together. “Did you used to be a slave too, mistress?”

“No, I grew up free. But I lived in foster care since I was very young, and a lot of the families I lived with had slaves. I grew up watching people be badly abused and I wanted to help make it stop. So when I was old enough, and had enough money, I joined R&R and brought Jeff home. Then a year later, Annie came to live with me.” Sadie took each of her siblings’ hands in hers. “And now we’re one big, mostly happy, family.” 

“And we’re so glad you’re going to be a part of it,” Annie added, giving Abed’s shoulder a squeeze with her free hand.

In that moment, Abed felt so lucky to be in this kitchen with these people that he couldn’t fully express it in words. So he said what he knew how to say. “Thank you, Sadie.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Abed. We’re all really happy you’re here.”


	3. The Movies

After a week of living with Sadie, Abed felt a lot more at home. He no longer knelt on the floor, or kept his head bowed, or called Sadie “mistress.” True to her promise, Sadie didn’t ask Abed to help with any housework. He wasn’t allowed to leave the apartment without Sadie, Annie, or Jeff, so when Sadie was at work, he played video games, watched tv and movies, and ate lots and lots of food.

It was Friday night and Sadie was taking Abed, Jeff, and Annie to the movies. Everyone agreed that Abed should choose which movie to see since it was his first time seeing one at the theatre, and he chose the latest instalment of Star Wars. When Sadie got home from work, she and Abed had a quick dinner, then met Jeff and Annie at the cineplex.

While the four were in line for tickets, a man entered the theatre with his family and Abed started to panic.

“What’s wrong?” Sadie asked.

He cupped his hands around her ear and whispered, “Man. Behind us. My old master.”

“Do you want to leave?”

Abed hesitated. “Will anyone be mad at me?”

“No, they’ll understand.”

Abed looked at his shoes.

“So do you want to leave?”

“Yes, please, Sadie.”

“Okay, we’re going.” She explained the situation to Jeff and Annie in hushed voices and the four quickly left the movie theatre.

As soon as they got outside, Jeff turned to Abed. “Which bastard was he? I’m going back in there.”

“Jeff, no!” Sadie warned.

Abed took Jeff’s arm. “Don’t. Please.”

“Okay, fine.”

“Why don’t we just go see Star Wars at a different theatre?” Annie suggested.

“Do you want to, Abed?” Sadie asked.

“Yes.” He was still shaken, but he did want to spend the night out.

As they walked back to where they’d parked, Annie put her arm around Abed. “Don’t worry. You’ll still have fun tonight.”

Sadie and Abed got into their car and followed Jeff and Annie to another theatre nearby. The four ended up watching the new Star Wars movie and sharing a giant tub of popcorn. After saying goodbye to Jeff and Annie, Sadie and Abed went back to their apartment.

“How are you feeling?” Sadie asked when they got in.

Abed couldn’t make eye contact. “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, well if you need me, I’ll be in my room. Goodnight, Abed.”

“Goodnight, Sadie.”

As he brushed his teeth, memories of what Robert had done to him flashed through his mind. He shook his head hard trying to get them out, but it didn’t work. He thought maybe he should talk to Sadie, but he didn’t want to bother her. So he just went to bed. After reading online for about an hour, he fell asleep.

* * *

“Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!”

Sadie bolted up in bed at the sound of Abed’s high pitched scream. She ran to his bedroom and found him in fetal position with his covers held tight to his chin.

“Abed, what happened?”

“I’m sorry I woke you up!” He hid under his blankets.

Sadie sat on the edge of his bed. “That’s okay. Did you have a nightmare?”

He kept his head under the blankets and Sadie heard him start to cry. _Seeing that guy must have freaked him out_ , she thought.

“When Jeff and Annie first came to live with me, they had lots of nightmares. But with time, they get less and less.”

“You’re not mad?” Abed asked from under the covers.

“No. Do you want to talk about the dream? Or do you want to try to go back to bed?”

“He was here,” Abed said into his blankets.

“What?”

He moved the covers away from his face. “In my dream, he was here. And he was going to kill you and take me back.”

“Abed, that’s never going to happen. I promise.”

“But what if something happens to you? And I can’t stay with you anymore?”

“If anything ever happened to me, Rescue and Release would place you with Annie and Jeff. But nothing’s going to happen to me. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“You don’t know that!” he cried.

Sadie took a deep breath. “You’re right. I don’t know that. But I do know that no matter what, you’re going to get your freedom. And if Jeff, Annie, and I can’t be with you until then, Rescue and Release will find someone to take care of you until you’re free.”

“But what’ll happen after that?”

“Whatever you want. You can live here, or get your own place, or live with Jeff and Annie. You can go to school, or get a job. But no matter what, you’ll always be part of this family. If you want to be.”

Abed was quiet for a moment. “I do want to be.”

Sadie smiled. “Well good, because you already are.”


	4. The Rec Room

A month passed and Abed was adjusting well. His nightmares were less frequent and he'd even started coming to work with Sadie. Friend Indeed Denver had a reserved area for slaves who were being fostered by employees. The rec room, as it was called, had cards, board games, video games, books, a couch, a tv, a pool table, and even a small kitchen. Abed had met two other slaves who came to the rec room regularly, but they were both teenage girls and didn’t have a lot in common with Abed.

One Monday morning, when Abed arrived at Friend Indeed with Sadie, he went to the rec room as usual and saw someone he’d never seen before playing Halo on the tv. The guy was really good and Abed watched from behind the couch as he massacred hoards of aliens. When he reached a save point, Abed came up and sat next to him.

“Hey, you’re really good.”

“Thanks. I play a lot at home.”

“I’m Abed.” He extended his hand.

“I’m Troy, nice to meet you” he said, shaking it.

“Wanna play two player?”

“Sure.”

Abed and Troy played Halo until lunchtime. Then Sadie came to the rec room to have lunch with Abed as usual.

“Who’s this?” she asked when she saw Troy.

“This is Troy. We played Halo.”

“Hi, you must be Abed’s owner. It’s very nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Troy. Call me Sadie.”

Just then, Troy’s owner came into the rec room. “There you are! Sorry I’m late. I couldn’t find the room.”

“That’s okay,” Troy told his owner, “Marisa, this is Abed and his owner Sadie.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” Marisa smiled at Sadie and Abed.

The four ended up having lunch together and Sadie learned it was Marisa’s first day at Friend Indeed Denver. She'd recently been transferred there from the Chicago branch. Troy was also being sponsored by Rescue and Release, and the charity was close to raising the money they needed to buy his freedom.

“When you’re free,” Sadie said, “you should apply to Free People’s College. They have courses at all levels and it’s a very good school.”

“I don’t know. School’s not really my thing,” Troy answered.

“They also have technical programs.”

“Maybe. I’ll see.”

When lunch was over, Marisa and Sadie said goodbye to Troy and Abed and went back to their respective offices.

“Wanna keep playing Halo?” Abed asked Troy.

“Na, I’m kind of bored of it. How ‘bout pool?”

“I don’t know how to play.”

“That’s okay, I’ll teach you.”

Troy and Abed spent the rest of the afternoon playing pool. By the end of the day, Abed still wasn’t very good, but he was better. At 5 o’clock, Sadie and Marisa came back to the rec room.

“Quittin’ time!” Sadie called out.

“Same time tomorrow?” Abed asked Troy.

“You bet.”

On the drive home from work, Sadie asked Abed how his day went.

“It was great! Troy taught me how to play pool. He’s really nice.”

“Cool! I’m glad you made a new friend.”


	5. The Dentist

The following week, Sadie took Thursday off work because Abed had a dentist appointment. He’d resisted going for as long as he could, but the pain in his mouth kept getting worse, so he gave in.

When they arrived at Dr. Powell’s office, Abed was surprised to see other people wearing slave id tags in the waiting room. Usually, doctors’ offices were segregated, but this one seemed to serve slaves and free people. While Sadie flipped through a magazine, Abed gripped the arms of his chair, shut his eyes, and tried to block out the memories of the last time he’d been to a dentist. One who didn’t use anesthetic.

After a few minutes, Abed’s name was called. He tried to stand up, but couldn’t. He wanted to go to the dentist, and be a good slave, but he was stuck in his chair.

“Abed?” the hygienist called again.

Abed didn’t move.

“Would you like me to go with you?” Sadie asked, looking up from her magazine.

“Yes, please.”

“Okay.” Sadie put her magazine down on the table. “I’m going to be coming with him,” she told the hygienist. “Just give us a minute.”

“All right, I’ll let Dr. Powell know.”

“What’s wrong?” Sadie asked after the hygienist left.

Abed looked at his shoes. “Bad memories. Of a bad dentist.”

“Well I’ve been going to Dr. Powell since I was a teenager, and Annie and Jeff have been coming here since they came to live with me. I promise, she won’t hurt you.”

“Okay.” Abed pushed himself out of his chair, trying his best to be brave. _If Sadie says it’s okay, it’ll be okay._

Abed followed Sadie into the dentist’s office and took a seat in the big chair. Sadie pulled up a chair from the corner and sat beside Abed while the hygienist started her work.

“Is this your first time coming to the dentist?” she asked Abed.

“No.”

“Oh, you had a bad experience?”

“Yes.” He reached for Sadie’s hand.

“Well your owner’s right here. I’m sure that helps a little.”

“A little,” he answered.

Abed held Sadie’s hand the entire time the hygienist cleaned his teeth, and tried to take deep breaths through his nose. When the hygienist was finished, she went to get Dr. Powell.

“How you holding up?” Sadie asked him when they were alone.

“Okay. Thanks for staying with me.”

“No problem. Anytime.”

“Well hi, Abed! It’s nice to meet you!” Dr. Powell said in a cheery voice as she came into the small room.

“Hello,” he said quietly.

“I know you’re not super excited to be here, so I’m going to try to make this as quick as possible.”

Abed closed his eyes and opened his mouth. As Dr. Powell inspected his teeth and spoke with the hygienist, Abed squeezed Sadie’s hand as hard as he could.

“Well,” Dr. Powell said, “it looks like you have two large cavities and an infected tooth. I’ll give you some antibiotics that will clear up the infection, but the cavities have to be filled. There’s an opening right after your appointment, so we could fill them today if you like. Or you could make another appointment if you have to be somewhere.”

Abed turned to Sadie, eyes wide.

“What do you want to do?” she asked him.

“I want it to stop hurting. Today.”

“So we're staying to have the cavities filled?” Dr. Powell asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered.

“Dr. Powell,” Sadie said, “would you mind explaining what you’re doing at each step? I think knowing what’s happening would help Abed relax.”

“Oh, for sure. The first thing I’m going to do is put a numbing agent in your gums. Just a quick little needle, then you won’t feel a thing.”

Abed closed his eyes and squeezed Sadie’s hand, hard.

Dr. Powell took a fresh needle out of the packaging and filled it with anesthetic. “All right, open wide please.”

Abed took a deep breath and did as he was told.

The needle did hurt, but not as much as Abed thought it would. He’d had beatings that were much worse. After the needle prick, he didn’t feel a thing. When the procedure was over, he let go of Sadie’s hand and flexed his fingers. His face felt numb and puffy.

“All right, Abed,” Dr. Powell said. “We’re all done. Here’s your prescription for the infected tooth. It should clear up in about a week. Make sure to take your medication with food, and brush your teeth twice a day. See you next time!”

“Next time?” Abed asked, looking at Sadie.

“Yes, you’ll have another appointment in about six months. Everybody has to.”

As they went to pay and make Abed’s next appointment, Sadie thought how proud she was of the young man.


	6. The Handshake

The next morning, Abed met Troy in the rec room at nine o’clock.

“So how was the dentist?” Troy asked.

“Not as bad as I thought it would be. They froze my mouth.”

“Did you have any cavities?”

“Ya, a couple.”

“Did they use that huge needle? When Marisa took me, the needle was huge.”

“Ya, but it didn’t hurt that much.

“That’s good. Ready to play some pool?”

“Sure.”

Troy set up the balls and broke, then Abed took a shot but didn’t sink any balls.

“Good try. But you should put your hand like this.” Troy stood behind Abed and repositioned his hand. “And you should move your arm like this,” he said, manipulating Abed’s arm.

While Troy demonstrated how to sink two balls in one shot, Abed tried to memorize what it felt like when Troy positioned his body. After a couple of games of pool, they switched to playing Halo.

“Quick, quick! Shoot him!” Troy exclaimed. “Come on, head shot! Head shot!”

Abed aimed and fired.

“You got him! We beat the game on legendary!” Troy cheered.

Abed looked at Troy and smiled. “We should have a secret handshake. Like friends do in movies.”

“Okay!” Troy agreed.

After experimenting with a few different gestures, they settled on a move where they each patted themselves on the chest twice while slapping the other’s hand twice at the same time.

“That’s it. That’s the one. It’s just awesome.” Troy decided.

Abed nodded in agreement. “Wanna watch Inspector Spacetime?”

“You read my mind, man. You read my mind.”

The friends had just enough time to finish one episode of Inspector Spacetime before their owners came to meet them for lunch.

“So how’s your day been, Abed?” Sadie asked.

“Great. Troy and I have a secret handshake.” They demonstrated the double tap gesture.

“Very cool,” Marisa said.

“Can Abed come over tonight?” Troy asked Marisa. “I want to show him all my Inspector Spacetime stuff.”

“Sure, if it’s okay with Sadie.”

“Ya, absolutely. You up for it, Abed?”

Abed nodded, biting his sandwich.

“Would it be all right if I came too?” Sadie asked Marisa. “Abed hasn’t been anywhere without me since I brought him home.”

“Ya, sure. The more the merrier.”

At the end of the work day, Sadie and Abed got in their car and followed Marisa and Troy to their apartment. It was about the same size as Sadie’s, but with very chic furniture and stainless steel appliances. As the women went to the kitchen to chat, Abed followed Troy to his room.

“And this is where the magic happens,” Troy said, opening the door for Abed. Troy’s room was plastered with posters of different athletes and rappers he liked, and his dresser was covered with Inspector Spacetime collectibles. When Abed saw them, his jaw dropped.

Troy had everything. A Quantum Spanner, a mini X-7 Dimensionizer, figurines of Blorgons, even a bowler hat. Troy picked up the hat, put it on Abed’s head, then grabbed the Quantum Spanner. “Inspector!” Troy said in a British accent. “Look out for the Blorgons! They’re right behind you!”

The two friends acted out a Blorgon fight scene until they were out of breath, then collapsed on Troy’s bed.

“Are you hungry?” Troy asked. “I could go get us a snack.”

“Okay.”

In a few minutes, Troy returned with a plate of cheese and crackers.

“Thank you, Constable,” Abed said, reaching for a cracker.

“You’re most welcome, Inspector,” Troy answered in his best British. “Oh, and I wanted to show you my comic books!” He pulled a huge plastic container of Batman comics out from under his bed, and the two leafed through them for the rest of the afternoon. Around 5, Sadie appeared in the doorway.

“Sorry guys. It’s time for me and Abed to hit the road.”

Abed gave Sadie a nod, then turned to Troy. “Bye Troy.”

“Bye Abed!” Troy gave Abed a one-armed hug, patting him on the back. “Maybe next time Abed could sleep over?” he asked, looking at Sadie.

“If it’s okay with Marisa, it’s okay with me. Would you like to, Abed?”

The young man smiled. “Yes.”

The boys did their handshake one more time before saying their last goodbyes. As Abed and Sadie walked to their car, she put her arm around him. “You and Troy get along really well.”

“Ya, he’s my best friend.”


	7. The Road Trip

In July, Jeff and Annie each took a week off work to drive Troy and Abed to an Inspector Spacetime convention in San Diego. This would be Abed’s first time leaving the state of Colorado, his first road trip, and his first time spending more than a night away from Sadie since he’d been rescued.

“Are you sure you’re going to be all right?” Sadie asked Abed one last time as Jeff loaded Abed’s suitcase into the car.

“Yes,” he nodded.

“And you’re going to call me when you get to Utah?”

“Yes.”

Sadie held Abed’s shoulders. “And you promise you’ll eat good food and not just junk?”

“I promise.”

“All right, time to hit the road! Last goodbyes!” Jeff called out.

“Bye, Abed,” Sadie hugged him close. “I hope you have a great time.”

“Don’t worry,” Troy reassured Sadie, “we’ll make sure he stays in one piece.”

Jeff, Annie, Troy, and Abed piled into the small Honda, and Abed waved to Sadie from his back window before the car pulled away.

“Road trip!” Troy exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in the cramped back seat.

“Road trip!” Abed copied.

Annie turned back to look at them. “Is this your first time going to California, Troy?”

“Yes, and I’m super pumped it’s for InSpecTiCon.”

“And you guys are really going to dress up? As those Inspector guys?” Jeff asked, changing lanes.

“Inspector Spacetime and Constable Reggie,” Abed corrected.

“Everyone dresses up,” Troy explained. “Even Annie is going to.”

“I can’t believe those two convinced you to participate.”

“Why not? It’ll be fun. I’m going to be a Blorgon.”

“I don’t know what that is, and I don’t care.” Jeff turned on the radio to a classic rock station. Highway to Hell was playing, and when the chorus came on, Jeff couldn’t help but join in. “I’m on the hiiiiiiighway to hell! Hiiiiiiighway to hell!” he sang, “Wow, what an appropriate song!”

“Why have that attitude?” Annie asked. “You’re gonna be stuck in this car for sixteen hours anyway.”

“Thanks for driving us to InSpecTiCon even though it’s not your thing, Jeff,” Troy piped in.

“Ya, thanks Jeff,” Abed added.

Soon Jeff pulled onto the highway and everyone in the car settled into a comfortable silence. Annie had brought along her sociology textbook to get a head start on reading before the fall semester started, and Troy and Abed watched old episodes of Inspector Spacetime on Troy’s iPad.

A few hours later, the gang stopped for lunch on the side of the road. As they crossed the parking lot, Troy fiddled with the tags on his slave identification bracelet before slipping it off and putting it in his pocket.

The four went into the restaurant with Jeff at the front of the group. “Hi, could we get a table for four please?”

The server looked at the chain around Abed’s neck that held his slave id tags. “Sure. And he’ll be sitting at the table with you?”

“Yes,” Jeff replied firmly.

“All right, follow me.” The server led them to a table in the back corner reserved for people eating with slaves.

As soon as the server put down the menus and left, Jeff looked at Troy and kept his voice low. “Troy, did the server not see your id tags? You know they have to be visible.”

“Um, I took my bracelet off in the car. I guess I forgot to put it back on,” Troy lied.

“Well make sure that doesn’t happen again. We can’t take any chances. Two former slaves bringing two slaves across state lines? How do you think that would look if we were caught?”

“What do you mean ‘caught?’ We're not doing anything illegal,” Troy replied.

Jeff did his best to keep his composure. “You know damn well what I mean. If we make one false move, all a cop has to do is type in my license plate, and they know I was enslaved. Then we get stopped. Then we get pulled out of the car. And before you know it, you’re getting shipped back to Marisa on a plane in a cage! Is that what you want?”

“No…”

“Then I better not see you without that bracelet for a second. You got me?”

Troy flinched. “Yes, sir.”

Abed gave Jeff a look. “Don’t scare my friend!”

“Then keep your friend in line!”

“Enough!” Annie said. “Nothing bad happened, everything's fine, Troy’s not going to take off his bracelet again. We’re good.”

“We better be…” Jeff warned.

The four ate their meal in silence. After Jeff paid the cheque, they walked back to the car with Troy and Abed trailing behind.

Abed put his hand on Troy’s shoulder. “He'd never hurt you.”

“I know. It was just scary to see him mad. It makes me remember stuff.”

“Don’t think about that. We’re going to InSpecTiCon, remember?”

Troy weakly pumped his fist in the air and tried to smile. “Road trip.”

“Yes, road trip.”

“Come on guys, we’re leaving!” Annie called. The boys hurried back to the car and got in the backseat.

That evening, when they parked in front of the motel in Utah, Jeff made sure Troy was wearing his bracelet before they got out of the car. “Don’t let me see you without it,” he warned.

“Jeff, come on! He knows he has to wear it,” Annie pleaded. When they all got out, she linked arms with Troy. “Don’t worry about Jeff. His bark is bigger than his bite.”

Troy, Abed, and Annie talked to Sadie on speaker in the lobby while Jeff checked them in at the front desk. Then Jeff and Annie went with Troy and Abed to the slave section of the motel. They had booked two double rooms - one for Troy and Abed, and one for Annie and Jeff. When they got to their room, Abed chose the bed next to the window and Troy chose the one next to the door.

“Good night guys,” Annie said as she went back out into the hallway.

“And don’t either of you leave this room until morning. I mean it,” Jeff added, closing the door behind him.

As soon as Annie and Jeff left, Troy got into his bed and pulled the covers over his head. Abed had never seen Troy like this. At first, he didn’t know what to do to help his friend, but then he decided to do what Sadie did when he got scared.

Abed sat on the side of Troy’s bed and mimicked Sadie’s comforting tone. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Everything’s going to be okay.”

Troy lay still, keeping the blankets over his head.

After a few minutes, Abed assumed that Troy had fallen asleep, so he got ready for bed. He went to the bathroom, changed into his pyjamas, brushed his teeth, and came back out to find Troy still lying there, head covered.

“Good night, Troy,” Abed said, turning out the light.

* * *

In the middle of the night, Abed woke up to find that his shoulder was being softly shaken.

“Abed,” Troy whispered, “are you awake?”

“Ya…” he said, groggy.

“I had a really bad dream. And now I can’t sleep. Can I sleep with you?”

Abed and Troy had slept in the same bed before. The first time Abed slept over at Troy’s place, he’d started off on the living room sofa, but it was just too short for his long body. And sleeping on the floor wasn’t an option. Too many bad memories. So Abed had asked Troy if it was okay for him to sleep in his bed, and he'd said yes.

“Sure,” Abed answered.

“Thanks man.” Troy got into bed beside Abed.

Immediately, Abed rolled over and fell back to sleep, but it took a while for Troy to settle down after his nightmare. When Abed woke up the next morning, Troy’s stomach was pressed against his back, and his arm was lying across Abed’s chest. Even though Abed wasn’t a big hugger, for some reason, he decided he liked this feeling.

* * *

After Annie talked to Jeff that first night in Utah, he softened up a bit. He always made sure Troy and Abed were wearing their id tags, but he didn’t make such a big deal about it. A few days later, the gang arrived in San Diego.

The night before InSpecTiCon, Troy and Abed stayed up late reviewing the list of panelists.

“Tomorrow is going to be the best day of our lives!” Troy said as he put away his iPad.

“Yup,” Abed agreed, pulling the covers over himself. He set the alarm on the motel clock for 6am then turned out the light.

After ten minutes of lying awake, Troy gave up trying to fall asleep. “Abed, are you awake?”

“Yes.”

“Wanna play would you rather?”

“Sure.”

“Okay, let’s see… Would you rather… wrestle a snake or wrestle a bear?”

“Snake, easy.”

“Damn, you’re good. Your turn.”

“Would you rather… get stung by a jellyfish, or get stung by a scorpion?”

“Oh, good one. I’d have to say… jellyfish. ‘Cause I could pee on it instead of having to suck out the venom.”

“True, true.”

“Okay, my turn. Would you rather… marry Minerva, or marry Constable Reggie?”

“Easy, Constable Reggie. Minerva is the worst.”

“Even though Reggie is a guy?”

“Ya, Minerva is terrible.”

“Definitely. Okay, your turn.”

“Hmm…Would you rather…Get a job right after you get your freedom, or go to school first so you could get a better job?”

“Man, that’s a good one. If I had to choose, I would probably say… get a job right away. I want my own place, and I could always go back to school later. Okay, my turn. Would you rather… direct an episode of Inspector Spacetime, or guest star in an episode?”

Silence.

“Abed?”

Troy heard Abed snoring softly and decided they’d answered enough questions for that night.


	8. The Convention

Abed’s alarm rang at 6am. He bolted out of bed and hurried to the other side of the room.

“Troy, wake up, it’s InSpecTiCon! It’s InSpecTiCon!”

The young men quickly put on their costumes, then Troy texted Annie.

‘ _Annie, this is go time. This is not a drill. We’re going to InSpecTiCon!’_ his text read. ‘ _Please come pick us up as soon as you can. And don’t forget to put on your Blorgon costume!’_

About half an hour later, Annie knocked on Troy and Abed’s door with Jeff in tow.

When Troy saw Annie in her Blorgon costume, he bounced up and down. “Annie, you look awesome!”

“Thank you, thank you,” she bowed.

“Okay guys, tags?” Jeff asked.

On cue, Troy held up his wrist and Abed held up the chain around his neck.

“All right, let’s get this thing over with.”

After getting breakfast at the motel restaurant, the four piled into Jeff’s car and made their way downtown to the hotel holding the convention.

“Man, this Blorgon costume is hotter than I thought it would be.” Annie wiped her forehead.

“It’s San Diego in July. Did you not think about that on the way here?”

“Jeff, just drink your coffee,” Annie said.

Luckily, Troy and Abed were on too much of a high to be brought down by Jeff’s sour mood.

“Constable, check the perimeter,” Abed said, imitating the British inspector. “I anticipate incoming Blorgon fire.”

“Annie, that’s your cue!” Troy whispered loudly.

“Oh, sorry!” Annie shot finger guns at Troy and Abed. “Pew, pew!”

The three role-played during the whole drive to the convention, and when they finally arrived, Troy and Abed jumped out of the car and ran towards the entrance of the hotel.

“Get back here, right now!” Jeff called.

Slowly, they turned around and walked back towards Jeff and Annie.

Jeff put his hands on his hips. “Guys, I understand this is a special day for you. I understand you’ve been waiting for this for a long time. But you _cannot_ go out of Annie and my sight. Don’t run, don’t knock anything over, don’t step on anyone’s foot, don’t try to buy anything. If you want to get something, just ask me or Annie and we’ll buy it for you. Understood?”

“Yes, Jeff,” they said in unison.

“Okay, have fun. _Carefully_.”

The rest of the day was a blur of costumes, line ups, photo ops, and noise. Troy and Abed met Inspector Spacetime fans from all over the country. There were almost a thousand people packed in the hotel, but luckily they managed not to get separated from Annie and Jeff.

The boys posed for pictures with other fans who were wearing very elaborate and expensive costumes, and also had their photos taken in front of a full scale replica of the X-7 Dimensionizer. To their surprise, none of the panels or Q&As were segregated, so they were able to sit right at the front and ask as many questions as they wanted. Before they knew it, the convention was over and they were heading back to the car, arms full of Inspector Spacetime merchandise for Abed.

All through dinner, Troy and Abed couldn’t stop talking about how much fun they’d had.

“Remember the guy dressed as Thoraxis?” Troy asked Abed.

“Ya, his costume was amazing!”

“And remember at the Q&A when I asked about X-7 Dimensionizer fuel? I knew my theory was right!”

“Okay guys, you’ve had a lot of fun today,” Jeff started, “Literally, our entire day was dedicated to Inspector Spacetime. Annie even dressed up as a Blorgawhatta.”

“Blorgon!” The boys said in unison.

“Whatever. What I mean is, don’t you think we could talk about something else now?”

Annie gave Jeff’s arm a light shove. “Let them have their fun. It’s not hurting anybody.”

“Except my ears…”

Abed turned to Troy. “Constable!”

“Yes, Inspector!”

“Quickly, grab the Quantum Spanner!”

“Yes, Inspector!” Troy pulled out the Quantum Spanner they’d bought for Abed.

“Look there! Umlautson the Terrible is approaching!” Abed pointed to Jeff. “Aim, and fire!”

Troy pointed the toy gun at Jeff. “Pew, pew! Pew, pew, pew!” Troy exclaimed.

Jeff put his head in his hands. “Okay, I give up.”

Troy and Abed did their secret handshake.

* * *

That night at the motel, Abed and Troy had started off in separate beds, but at around 3am, Abed woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. He hadn’t had a nightmare, but for some reason, he just didn’t feel right. He tossed and turned for almost an hour, then eventually decided there was only one way he could get anymore sleep that night.

“Troy?”

“Mm…” Troy answered, barely awake.

“Can I sleep with you? Just for tonight?”

“Mm hmm. But don’t wake me up again,” he said, rolling over to make room.

Abed climbed into bed beside Troy and didn’t wake up until morning.


	9. The Professor

One Sunday evening in August, the week Jeff and Annie had registered for classes, the two came over to Sadie’s apartment for family dinner. Annie couldn’t stop talking about all the professors she was going to have, and the research she’d done about them on Rate My Teacher.

“My intro to sociology professor is probably the most important,” she explained, “and according to Rate My Teacher, he’s a really easy marker, so that’s a relief.”

Jeff rolled his eyes. “Even if he wasn’t an easy marker, you'd still get an A. Or an A+.”

“And what about your professors, Jeff?” Sadie asked.

“I haven’t even looked at that part of my schedule. I just signed up for classes that didn’t conflict and hoped for the best.”

“Oh, and Sadie!” Annie continued, “You’ll never guess who my poetry teacher is!”

“Um… I give up. Who is it?”

“Lisa Crenshaw!”

“Lisa Crenshaw! That’s a blast from the past!”

“Who’s Lisa Crenshaw?” Abed asked.

“She and I went to university together,” Sadie answered. “We dated for a couple years, but things didn’t work out. She had her head in the clouds, and I had my feet on the ground.”

“You dated a woman?”

“Yes, Abed. I’m gay,” she smiled, then took her last bite of meatloaf. “Well I’m full. Who wants tea?”

“I do,” Jeff answered. “I’ll help you, sis.”

“You really didn’t know Sadie was gay?” Annie asked. “I was sure it would’ve come up in conversation.”

“No. Well, she did tell me about this girl named Dani she lived with, but I thought they were just roommates.”

“Oh no, Sadie and Dani were a thing.”

“Oh god,” Sadie chimed in, “Don’t remind me! Bad memories!”

“You didn’t like her?” Abed asked.

“No, I liked her. She was really sweet and everything. We just didn’t have enough in common. But that was a long time ago. I haven’t been in a relationship since before Jeff came to live here.”

“Don’t worry sis. You’ll find your special someone,” Jeff smiled.

“Jeff is _very_ optimistic about love these days,” Annie added.

He looked at Annie. “Shut up.”

“Oh, you have to tell us now, Jeff!” Sadie exclaimed. “Who’s the girl?”

“Her name is Frankie. I met her at the grocery store. She was looking for fresh basil and I showed her where it was. Then she asked me if I’d like to go out sometime, and I said yes.”

“Ooh!” Sadie teased.

“It’s no big deal. It’s just a date. It probably won’t work out.”

“But what if it does?” Annie’s eyes were bright.

“Well, we’ll see what happens.”

After helping with the dishes, Jeff and Annie said goodbye and went home to get a good night’s sleep before work the next day.

“Goodnight, Abed,” Sadie said after brushing her teeth. “See you in the morning.”

“Uh… Sadie?”

“Ya?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. Shoot.”

“How did you know you were gay?”

“Well… I think part of me always knew. I was never really interested in boys. But I knew for sure when I had my first crush on a girl in high school. I thought about her all the time. How pretty she was. How smart, how nice. And if I didn’t see her at school one day, I’d feel down 'til the next time I saw her.”

“Did you get really excited before seeing her?”

“Oh ya.”

“And did you wish you could be with her, like, all the time?”

“I sure did.”

“Sadie?”

“Ya?”

“I think I might be gay.”

Sadie smiled wide. “Welcome to the club. Can I give you a hug?”

“Okay.”

Sadie opened her arms and gave Abed a squeeze. “So who’s the lucky guy?”

“Troy.”

“Oh really! You two are together?”

“No. I just like him. I think.”

“Well that’s wonderful. If he likes you back, all the better, and if he doesn’t, there’s other fish in the sea. The important thing is that you know who you are, and I’m so proud of you for figuring this part out. Gay, straight, bisexual, queer, doesn’t matter. I’ll be beside you every step of the way.”

“Thanks, Sadie,” he smiled.

“So is this under wraps for now? Have you told anyone else yet?”

“No, just you. I want to find out if Troy likes me first.”

“Okay. Anything else you wanted to tell me?”

“Nope. Goodnight, Sadie.”

“Goodnight, Abed. Have sweet dreams.”

After turning out the light, Abed fell asleep almost immediately. He dreamt about going on a picnic with Troy.


	10. The Note

The next day in the rec room, Troy and Abed were playing Assassin’s Creed when Abed asked Troy a question. “Did you know Sadie’s gay?”

“Um, no I didn’t.”

“But it’s okay with you?”

“Well, ya. Sadie’s awesome,” Troy said, killing an enemy. “Do you have a problem with it?”

“No. I just wanted to know what you thought.”

“Well I’m fine with it. Sadie’s super nice.”

They continued playing their game for while, then Abed had another question. “Do you want to come over tonight?”

“Sure. What do you want to do?”

“Watch a movie?”

“Okay.”

At lunch, Abed asked Sadie if Troy could come over that afternoon, and she said it was fine. At 5 o’clock, Troy said goodbye to Marisa and climbed into the backseat of Sadie’s car next to Abed. Sadie tried to make conversation on the car ride home, but the boys didn’t feel like talking.

When they got up to the apartment, Sadie went to her bedroom and Abed and Troy sat down on the living room sofa in front of the tv. Abed got Netflix up and chose the first movie on his watchlist.

“Oh, Love Simon,” Troy said, “I heard about this movie.”

“Do you want to watch it?”

“Ya, sure.”

Abed pressed play, and the two friends watched the entire movie in silence.

When it was over, Abed took a slow, deep breath. “Troy?”

“Ya?”

Abed was quiet.

“What is it?” Troy asked.

Abed looked down at his lap. “I’m… I’m like him.”

Troy was pretty sure he knew what Abed meant, but he wanted to be certain. “Like who?”

“Simon.”

Troy smiled. “Buddy, that’s okay. If you like guys, you like guys. That’s cool.”

Abed looked up at Troy. “Do you still want to be my friend?”

“Of course I do, man! You’re like, my best friend.” Troy put one hand to his chest and extended his other one for their secret handshake. Abed smiled as they double-tapped their chests in unison.

“Actually…” Troy trailed off, pulling at a loose thread on the hem of his shirt.

“What?”

Troy kept his eyes down. “I think… I think I like guys too. But please don’t tell anybody.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” Troy paused. “I don’t know. I just don’t think it’s a good thing for people to know.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause I don’t know if Marisa will still want to help me if she knows.”

“But when you’re free, are you gonna tell people?”

“Well, ya. I was gonna tell you.” Troy looked off into the distance. “Eventually.”

“How long have you known?”

“Since I was little. My first crush was on Batman,” he smirked. “How long have you known?”

“Not until recently.”

“What helped you figure it out? That movie?” Troy asked, looking at the tv.

“No.” Abed got up and took a piece of paper and a pen out of a kitchen drawer. He quickly scribbled something onto the paper, folded it in half, and handed it to Troy.

Troy gave Abed a confused look, then unfolded the paper and read it. It said:

_I figured it out when I met you._

Troy stared at the sentence for a while, a smile growing on his face, then looked up from the paper. “Abed?”

“Ya?”

“Does this mean that you like me? Like in the movie?”

“Ya.”

Troy took Abed’s hand in his. “Well that’s good. Because I like you too.”


	11. The Truth

“I’m scared!” Troy exclaimed, minutes before Sadie and Marisa came to meet him and Abed for lunch. Luckily, the two teenage girls who could usually be found in the Friend Indeed rec room weren’t there that day.

“We talked about this. The best time to tell Marisa is at lunch with Sadie.”

“Ya, I know! But I’m still scared!”

Abed rubbed Troy’s shoulder. “Take a deep breath. In and out.” Troy did as he was told.

Just then, Marisa and Sadie came into the rec room.

“Hi guys!” Marisa smiled.

Troy rubbed the back of his head and looked at his shoes. “Hey Marisa…” he said in a small voice.

Marisa left her lunch on the table and moved towards Troy. “What’s wrong?”

Troy froze.

“Um…” Abed started, “We have something to tell you. Troy’s really scared, but it’s nothing bad.”

Sadie knew exactly where this was going, but Marisa was in the dark. “What’s going on?”

Troy looked to Abed for help.

“Troy and I…” Abed started, “Troy and I are dating. We like each other.”

“Is that true?” Marisa asked Troy.

He nodded. “Are you mad?”

“Of course I’m not mad! I’m surprised, but I’m not mad. If Abed makes you happy, then I’m happy for you.”

Troy pulled Marisa into a hug. “I thought you wouldn’t want me to live with you anymore.”

“Troy, you’re family. You’re like my little brother. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Marisa hugged Troy tighter, and Sadie moved closer to Abed, taking his hand.

“You know I love you, right?”

Abed squeezed Sadie’s hand. “Ya. I love you, too.”


End file.
